Fixing Old Traditions | 𝘚𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘶𝘴 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬

𝑶𝒏𝒆 𝑯𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑻𝒘𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒚-𝑻𝒉𝒓𝒆𝒆

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winter 1978,
sirius first task
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As the bed shifted beneath her, she flicked her eyes open, the clock read 3:40 in the morning. Has she heard the bedroom door click shut, her breathing was quick and short, she threw the covers off running out of the room, she raced down the stairs.

"Sirius, wait," she said, as he reached the door, he turned around as her body slammed into his, she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, "please be careful,"

He held her close against him, tears fell down her face, she pressed her lips against his she pulled away smiling at him. He pulled her close to him kissing her hard, holding her as close to him as he possibly could, she only pulled away when they heard the cries of their little ones.

"I love you," she said, taking a deep breath to steady her nerves,

"I love you more," she smiled at him,

"Not possible," she whispered, he kissed one last time as he walked out of the door, she stood at the window, watching as he and James apparated away.

She walked upstairs to attend to their crying daughter, she calmed herself best she could as she cradled Phoebe back to sleep. She tried to get some extra sleep too, she couldn't close her eyes, her mind running over every possible outcome of Sirius' task.

She sat in her chair in the living room, she looked at the time 12:30 in the afternoon, she had managed any sleep, while Rhea and Phoebe were taking their nap. She heard a knock at the door, she rushed to the door, her smile fell when her brothers stood in the door.

"Sorry, I thought you might have been Sirius, come in,"

Ethan ran around the house, his father warned him to be quiet, when he spotted the sleeping twins. She walked into the kitchen to make them a drink, the dark circles under her eyes and saggy postures with already worn clothes, told them that she hadn't been sleeping.

"How are you coping?" Daniel asked

"I'm alright," she said, with hardly any strength in her voice, "Just seems like he's been gone for days and he hasn't even been gone twelve hours,"

"I know it's hard," Theo said, "believe it or not the children will help,"

"How?"

"Because they have no idea what's going on, so they're bright and joyful," Jacob said, "like Ethan, he's getting smarter every day," he smiled at her, "Ethan come here a minute," he walked in eating an unpeeled apple, that he had clearly taken from the fruit bowl in the living room,

"Can I have this?" he asked pointing at the apple

"Well, you've already bitten into it, we can't say no now," Theo said,

"Show aunt Aimee how to use the TV," his dad asked, he held her hand taking her into the living room, he sat down in front of the television. She kneeled on the floor with him, watching him as he looked around for the remote.

"On," he said, pressing the button to turn on the television he looked at the remote, pressing a button that changed the channel. "Now I watch Sesame Street,"

"Such a clever boy," she said, as Laura walked clumsily towards her brother sitting down to watch Sesame Street with him.

"Yeah he only knows how to put Sesame Street on," Daniel said, chuckling at his nephew,

"Still it's very smart considering he's almost 3-years-old," she said, she saw Theo nudge Jacob he creased his brows for a moment, they widened as he reached into his coat pocket.

"Here, read this,"

Dear Aimee, Sirius, Rhea and Phoebe,
We would like to invite you to celebrate the wedding and marriage of Jacob Dean Burke and Laura Abigail Wilson. On 21st February 1979, we hope you can make it and be a part of our special day.
Love, Jacob and Laura.

"You're getting married," she said, tears welled up in her eyes, this time happy ones, she hugged Jacob tightly, "I'm so happy for you,"

"Thank you, I know the Wedding's on your birthday, but it's also the day, I told Laura that I'm a wizard,"

"I don't care that it's on my birthday, I'm so happy, you're getting married,"

"We're not having a big wedding, with how dangerous it's been at the minute, we're literally just having us there,"

"Us Burke's only?" she questioned, "what about her family?"

"She understands it's too dangerous to make a big thing out of it,"

"Well, who's going to officiate the wedding?"

"I am," Theo spoke, she smiled at him,

"I'm best man of course," Daniel added

"Laura wanted you and Melissa to be Bridesmaids," Jacob told her, she hugged him, "I've sent off for your dress, it can be altered with a charm if it doesn't fit,"

"I hope Sirius will be here to go with me," she said, biting her lip as she looked down, Jacob hugged her,

A young wizard being chased through the trees, morphed into a dog to get a head start on them. Curses and hex were being fired in every direction. 'BOMBARDA MAXIMA' loud explosion, drained his hearing.

"Padfoot come on, there's too many of them," another wizard said.

As they made it to the nearest village they stood for a moment to catch their breaths, blood dripping down their faces. Unaware that they had wounds deep enough, they were outnumbered they didn't stand a chance.

"I'm sure he'll be fine-" loud crying from Phoebe cut him off, Aimee hurried over to her, she lifted Phoebe into her arms.

"Shh," she tried to her best to calm the distressed baby, nothing she did seemed to calm her, "she doesn't need changing or feeding, I don't know why she's crying,"

"Here, let me try," Jacob asked taking Phoebe from her, though he too struggled to calm her.

Aimee hurried upstairs, rummaging through her wardrobe she pulled out one of Sirius shirts, as she made her way downstairs, Theo had a hold of Rhea, as Phoebe's crying had woken her. She took Phoebe from Jacob wrapping her in her father's shirt.

"Well, she misses her dad," Daniel said,

"I guess she does," she smiled down at her, as she snuggled Sirius' shirt, "I'm going to try and get some sleep,"

"Okay, let us know if you need anything," Theo told her.

They each gave her a kiss on her cheek, Ethan and Laura hugged their aunt tightly, Theo let his younger brothers walk out the door first. He looked back at his sister, she was strong, she was coping with motherhood better than he imagined.